


Partners in Arms

by Entropic_Wren



Series: Tale of Two Shatterdome Kids [4]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Chuck Lives, Gen, Kinda, Original Jaeger - Freeform, POV Mako Mori, THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, based on own headcanons, because reasons, example one of herc trying to be a good dad to all his kids, references to character deaths, the return of the sibling dynamic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-02-29 19:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18784801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Entropic_Wren/pseuds/Entropic_Wren
Summary: "With a shared look, it seemed suddenly they were partners again. Just not in a comm-pod like their fourteen-year-old selves had thought once, but as partners in arms working in the jaeger bay, leading the restoration of Evan and Waimarie’s Jaeger together."Pitfall has happened, and it's left Mako at a loss as she grasps that it is over and what the cost was. That though settles as she finds herself doing something she both loves and is good at, due to a nudge from Herc. It's hard to feel lost about the future when you are looking at a memory.Perhaps though, a trip down memory lane is what is needed, along with a partner to join her on the ride.





	Partners in Arms

**Author's Note:**

> So this is technically the final installation into the series, but knowing me I'll probably find more scenes to do (in fact I may have a few other ideas). 
> 
> This while it might not look it, has been a series on tumblr which has lasted two months and has admittedly been one I have immensely enjoyed writing up. To explore a version of a dynamic between Chuck and Mako has been fun, and also coming up with reasonings and idea of how the two have grown is a nice challenge.
> 
> Hopefully it's as enjoyable for you all as it has been for me.

The final mission changed everything. Mako could see that easily the moment she had walked out of the medical wing after finally recovering from the radiation and rapid decompression sickness. Raleigh was still in for those, while Chuck… well, she still was astounded with how he had survived… not so shocked with how rough his condition was.

She could, however, only linger around the medical bay so much before feeling a need to do something. So she wandered. She didn’t have any idea of what exactly she intended to do… but wandering helped…

And before realizing it, she was standing in one of the Jaeger Bays… a depressingly empty one…

After years of growing up surrounded by Jaegers, and sounds of technicians working… the silence and the absence felt unnatural…

Though the silence stopped with the pattering of feet, and the tapping of claws on the concrete. Turning slightly to look behind her, she looked in time to see Max reach her before nudging his large mass against her.

“Hello Max,” She said softly, kneeling down to pat the bulldog.

Max let out a small whine nuzzling his face into Mako’s hand, before trying to lick it.

“Don’t drool over Miss Mori.”

It was almost amusing how familiar that line was coming to be, especially when heard with that gruff Australian voice.

“Marshal,” Mako greeted, looking up at Herc.

It didn’t feel quite right to call Herc that… Sensei had always been Marshal to her… but if someone else was going to be – it would have been Herc. It was fitting for him to be Marshal, Sensei always did trust his judgement. 

For that sentimental aspect in the title… The man was someone she had been around fairly often as a child, he looked out for her as much as he had for Chuck… so it was easier for it to be him to fill those shoes than a random stranger.

“There’s no need for that Mako,” The older man said softly, bending down to pat Max on the back lightly.

He looked tired, which considering there was a period of him believing he lost his son, then another period of time where Chuck’s condition was critical… it wasn’t surprising. It was probably because of how tired he looked that Waimarie had stopped lurking in the shadows as a Kwoon Master, to take some of the workload off Herc.

“Perhaps there is no need,” She replied gently as she stood up slowly, “But perhaps there is a small desire.”

Herc blinked at that, seemingly stunned for a moment before his shoulders slackened. Mako couldn’t quite figure out if that was a good thing or not… Before she even began to figure that out Herc had spoken up.

“How’re you feeling?”

It was Mako’s turn to blink, taking a moment to think before replying.

“Physically, I am getting better.”

“And other than physically?”

Mako didn’t have anything to use to reply to that. Herc though seemed to understand and simply nodded before speaking once more.

“Lemme show you something, Miss Mori.”

With a whistle to Max, the veteran pilot walked off. Momentarily caught in the confusion, Mako watched the two for a moment before swiftly catching up. The walk turned out to be not too long of one, though admittedly took several turns and corridors.

But then she found herself standing in front of another one of the bays. This one having a closed off section which Herc made a beeline for.

“Before you came to Hong Kong with Gispy, Mako,” Herc began to explain, “Sydney sent a jaeger ahead by the Marshal’s request.”

Mako blinked, “Another one?”

Herc nodded, taking a moment to type into the keypad before turning to face her once more.

He didn’t say anything more though, he simply stood there as the door lifted to reveal what was inside. The dark-haired woman could almost feel the edge of excitement and anticipation she had lurking, though it gave way to shock when she saw the black legs of the Jaeger. Those digitigrade legs.

There were only three jaegers which had non-human-like legs like those.

Tacit Ronin had ones which were more like that of an unguligrade… Crimson Typhoon had ones that compared to a plantigrade.

Kraken Roun though… Kraken had ones of a digitigrade…

Hesitantly the Japanese woman slowly panned her head upwards, taking in more bits of the Jaeger -it’s black parts, with turquoise detailing… the silver of fresh parts still unfinished- until she reached its head and her stomach did a flip.

It was Kraken.

Sydney had tried to restore Kraken.

“The Kiwis were insistent that because they forked out the money for Kraken, that it had to be returned, even if it just went to Sydney.” Herc explained as he stepped in, “The UN tried to refuse, but… well after dealing with us Aussies it’s no surprise they can be just as stubborn.”

Mako silently nodded, managing to listen as she stared at the towering Jaeger, looking at all the chains which held up parts of it.

“Chuck… the moment Chuck heard Kraken was coming back and that people in Sydney wanted to repair it… insisted on working on it. Even if it was during his spare time.”

“Evan-San always said Chuck-Kun knew more about Kraken than he did…”

Herc chuckled, “With how Chuck tried to take point on it, it seems like he did.”

Mako smiled amused at that as she looked at Herc for a moment before glancing back at the Jaeger.

“That influx of technicians from Sydney…. They were not all Striker’s were they?”

“No… there was a bunch of Kraken’s lot that decided to make the trip.”

Mako could feel that smile grow a bit more, that was how she remembered the Sydney Shatterdome being. A mix of Australians and New Zealanders who went all out to take care of their ‘babies’ as some of the technicians and engineers described both the Jaegers and the pilots.

“What I’m trying to get at though is… while I don’t know how Chuck would react to someone taking over his project,” Herc explained cautiously after a moment, “If you ever need something to clear your mind for a bit… she’ll be here waiting.”

Once more Mako looked at Herc, smile shifting a little as she looked carefully at the man.

“Thank you.”

Herc nodded, seemingly unsure of how to reply to that – The Hansen’s and their uncertainty which came to human interaction was still a small bit amusing while being a small bit sad.

Though the Australian proved to be on to something. After a few days of toying with it, Mako decided to go ahead with it, putting on a technicians outfit and leading what remained of Kraken’s tech crew into the bay once more.

Herc on his part had actually tracked down more of them, as well as put Striker’s lot on helping with it. Soon enough it had escalated to the remnants of the three other jaeger technician and engineering crews to appear to also work on it.

Thus when Chuck was up and pushing himself into the bay, he was dumbfounded for a moment at how different the Kraken he last saw was to the one he was staring at currently.

Mako though had a pleased smile, walking up.

“What do you think?”

“The blue’s the wrong shade.”

“You mean turquoise,” Mako replied, almost amused at that was what came into Chuck’s mind first.

After a moment longer of staring at Kraken, Chuck craned his head to look at Mako.

“It’s a bang-up job, Mako…”

Mako’s smile softened at that, “Thank you Chuck-Kun….You did give us a good starting point.”

Chuck blinked before scratching the back of his head, “…I… just didn’t think Evan would have wanted his girl to be a piece of scrap metal…”

“No. Evan-San would definitely not have wanted that.”

With a shared look, it seemed suddenly they were partners again. Just not in a comm-pod like their fourteen-year-old selves had thought once, but as partners in arms working in the jaeger bay, leading the restoration of Evan and Waimarie’s Jaeger together.

They still argued between each other with moments of “darn it Mori the location of its serial number is off” and “Hansen those parts are obsolete, you won’t find them ANYWHERE.” But they worked well together. While in a wheelchair, Chuck worked on the finer/smaller parts that needed assembly before being put in, and Mako worked with other technicians on its hull.

The moment Chuck had finished his therapy and was up and walking again, he had scaled Kraken’s foot and was securing bolts along with Mako. The sobering point had been when they reached the inside of the COMM-POD working on the harnesses, updating them as they worked on them

Looking up from the left hemisphere harness to look at Chuck working on the right, Mako spoke up.

“Do you think… Anderson-San will return to piloting?” She asked softly.

Chuck, on his part, had blinked as he looked away from the wiring he was doing to think for a moment.

“…Your guess is as good as mine…”

Perhaps it was… perhaps it wasn’t. Mako hoped that Waimarie would come back… but after drifting with Raleigh she understood completely how hard that was after losing your co-pilot…

A sigh made her break out of her thoughts in favour of looking back at Chuck. The young Australian was still kneeling but had completely put down his tools.

“…The way I see it… she misses this… she wants to come back. But she doesn’t think she should.”

Silently the dark-haired woman nodded.

“…But she has us… and… she has someone who’s been in that same boat,” Chuck continued, “Maybe with those she will.”

It was with that, Mako saw something she had not seen Chuck show for a while… or full on. He was hopeful, he had the small look which reminded her of a mix of their expressions when they talked about being pilots… with a hint of that look Evan had whenever he said the war wouldn’t last forever.

And that made her smile. Hopeful was a good look on Chuck, he seemed less of an agitated cat when he’s like that.

Quietly the two went on with the work until the end of the day, where they had set up a position on the hand of Kraken Roun with a tub of choc-mint ice-cream and a tub French-Vanilla. That would be how Herc and Raleigh found them, high above talking between each other and eating ice-cream straight from the tub.

Waimarie would find them soon thereafter, and with a small nostalgic smile she’d disappear for a little before returning with as strawberry tub, moving to settle alongside them. 

It wasn’t the same as those times Evan would carry Mako on his back, and Chuck was be chattering away about the latest fight, but the two would take what they could get.

**Author's Note:**

> I like the image of Chuck and Mako working together on the jaeger their 'older-siblings'/mentors piloted. It seemed rather fitting that the two people who got them to be partners do so once more, even without having done anything, because they laid a path that Chuck and Mako could follow if they wanted.
> 
> I also loved the idea that after Pitfall at the technicians and engineers for the four lost jaegers get together to work on a jaeger together. Like how they got together to end the war, they get together to work on something that will be used to help clean up the world.


End file.
